


Necrophilia

by orphan_account



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: F/M, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-30
Updated: 2013-08-30
Packaged: 2017-12-25 03:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darquesse has a lovely little trap set out to get Skulduggery. After all, she is a little bit of a necrophiliac. Set after LSODM - contains spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Necrophilia

Darquesse's trap was set.

Perhaps not a trap - traps tended to be subtle little things, filled with deceit and treachery, whereas this was kind of an ambush. Perhaps not an ambush - ambushes tended to involve many people and an enemy caught totally unawares, whereas this was going to be a small massacre where the enemies knew exactly what they were getting into. Perhaps not a massacre - just a thing that Darquesse had given up on trying to name.

Darquesse yawned and lay down on the leather sofa. Destruction was hard work. She lifted the glass of champagne to her lips and let it trickle in. Drinking it properly was far too much effort for something far too boring. The fizz of the liquid on her tongue was nothing compared to the rush of murder.

The house had belonged to a young mage named Katy Cockatoo. Katy Cockatoo had owned plenty of animals and plenty of creature comforts. Sadly, most of the animals were rabbits, and the rabbits hadn't put up much of a fight when Darquesse had wrapped shadows around their weak little necks. Katy Cockatoo hadn't put up much of a fight either. She'd just begged for Darquesse to stop. Darquesse hadn't stopped, and now Katy Cockatoo was lying crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood.

Darquesse idly poked Katy's head with her toe.

Fletcher and Skulduggery appeared before her. Fletcher disappeared, and Skulduggery stared at Darquesse with those dark eye sockets and he didn't say anything. Darquesse smiled at him warmly. Fletcher reappeared with China Sorrows and Dexter Vex and Saracen Rue. Darquesse smiled at them too, but she kept her gaze on Skulduggery.

"Hello," she said happily, "come to defeat me?"

"No," Skulduggery said. His skull was bare. So easy to crack. "Give Val back."

Darquesse took another sip of Katy Cockatoo's champagne. "I am having far too much fun here. No."

"The Val I know isn't a monster."

"Wasn't she?"

Skulduggery was quiet for a while, and Dexter Vex stepped forwards. "Turn back into Valkyrie Cain or we can destroy you. We have the Scepter of Ancients."

"Oh?" Darquesse arched an eyebrow."Little Stephanie isn't quite so silly, then."

Skulduggery looked at Katy's body. "Give up, Darquesse. We have you cornered. Give us Val back and we won't have to destroy you. Please."

She tipped her head to the side elegantly and watched how China and Dexter and Saracen stood so tense and still. Skulduggery's begging amused her. "Why should I give her back? I am her."

"You're not the Val I know," he said.

"The Val you know isn't a monster," she sang, mocking his earlier words. "But I am. And I am Valkyrie Cain. I am Valkyrie Cain and I am Stephanie Edgley and I am Darquesse and I am going to make the world burn."

China took out the Scepter of Ancients from behind her back and aimed it, but Skulduggery gestured for her to put it  down. She did, but Darquesse could see the reluctance in her eyes.

"Valkyrie," he said again.

"Yes?"

"Please," he said, and his voice shook.

"Why?"

 

"Because I love this world. And you love this world. You don't want it destroyed, not really.You love the sun and you love the rain and you love the bustling cities and you love sleeping in the Bentley. You love the rush of saving the world and you love the calm before the storm and you love your little sister." He inhaled deeply. "And I love you."

Darquesse rose from her seat, stepped closer to the trembling skeleton. "You love me?"

"Yes."

"I love you too," said Valkyrie Cain, and then she kissed him. Soft lips pressed against cold hard bone and her hands caressed the back of his skull. When she grew tired of the sensation she opened her mouth and ran her tongue over his teeth.

Skulduggery hesitantly put his arms around her. Darquesse enthusiastically returned the gesture, but one hand slipped under his jacket to massage his smooth ribs. He whimpered just slightly, and her eyes flickered open.

Fletcher looked sick and China looked furious. Dexter and Saracen seemed unmoved. Skulduggery tightened his grip on Darquesse's waist and she looked right into his eye sockets. She lingered at his mouth for a while, then broke away with a soft sigh.

"Valkyrie," he murmured. Darquesse wondered if he had tasted her lips.

"Valkyrie," she said with a smile, and slipped her hand over his. She stretched up, balanced on her toes, kissed his spine. He let out a low whine, but turned away to face his crew.

They looked at him expectantly, and he lowered his head. "It's her. It's over. We're safe."

China let a smile cross her beautiful features. "Valkyrie... I missed you." She cautiously placed the Scepter on the floor and stepped forwards, her arms open for a hug. Darquesse obliged.

Fletcher was looking out the doorway, breathing heavily. Darquesse could almost taste his jealousy. It wasn't a very nice taste and she was happy to be rid of it. Shadows sliced through his neck so fast he couldn't even scream. He thudded to the floor. Dexter, China and Saracen turned just as the exit became thick with shadows.

"It's a trap!" said Dexter, and he crumpled from lack of oxygen, the shadows having closed around his throat. China grabbed for the Scepter but she was too slow - Darquesse snatched it, pressed the hilt against China's skin. The black crystal crackled with power and China became dust. Saracen next. He flew at Darquesse with one foot out, but her vision was in slow motion - it was so simple to pluck him from the air and send him crashing to the floor. He wasn't dead, not yet, but right now he wasn't dangerous.

Darquesse turned around and studied Skulduggery. He was kneeling by Dexter. "You didn't kill him," he said. "Darquesse would have killed him."

She let her breath grow ragged, let tears spill. "I didn't mean to hurt them - I was so scared - they were going to kill me, Skulduggery!"

Skulduggery stood up and swept her into a hug. "They're just unconscious, Val. It's okay. It's going to all be okay now."

"I - I killed Fletcher! And China!"

Skulduggery looked at Fletcher - sprawled out with blood still spilling from his neck - and he looked at China - who was now an elegant pile of silvery dust. Skulduggery hugged Darquesse tighter. "Self defense. Excusable."

"They were your friends..."

"China got my family killed and Fletcher had ridiculous hair."

"Ridiculous hair isn't an excuse for murder."

"I wasn't saying it was."

"But you were heavily implying it." Darquesse smiled. It was nice to talk to him like this. It made her think of the old days when she hadn't yet discovered what freedom was.

Skulduggery was so forgiving. He forgave her for being a world breaker and he was forgiving her for murder. So kind and forgiving. And all hers. Darquesse pressed her lips to his teeth again.

"Do I need lips for this?" he wondered aloud, then activated the facade. The face this time was reasonably handsome, but Darquesse much preferred bleached bone. As they kissed, shadows wound around Skulduggery and slowly removed his clothes. She deactivated the facade, ran her fingers down his spine. He gave a little growl.

"Valkyrie, why are you removing my clothes?" he eventually said. She could hear the lust in his voice, and she removed her top to encourage that lust.

She laughed. "Skulduggery, I am a little bit of a necrophiliac."

"Oh."

"A rather large bit of a necrophiliac, to be honest."

"Ah."

"In fact I am an entire necrophiliac."

"I am not sure I should be letting you go through with this."

Darquesse massaged his spine. He leaned into her fingers. "You love me. You love this," she whispered. "Let me."

"I'm hundreds of years older than you..."

"And I am legally of age."

"I -" he whined as she dug her fingers into one of those sensitive spots on his back. "I - fine. Let's do this."

"Perfect," Darquesse growled, and she gently secured handcuffs around his wrists.

Skulduggery looked down at the handcuffs, then looked up at Darquesse. "These handcuffs bind the user's magical powers."

"Yes."

"Why?" His bones were shaking and he reached for where his gun would have been if he had been wearing clothes.

"I am a necrophiliac, Skulduggery," she purred. "Necrophiliacs like things to be dead."

"I am dead."

"Yes, you are." She crashed her lips against his teeth and ran her fingers down the expanse of his ribs and pulled his body close to hers. Then Darquesse simply snuffed out his little consciousness.

Inside her, Valkyrie was screaming and crying and shrieking and begging for it all to end. Begging to die so she didn't have to feel this pain. Darquesse let her suffer. She laughed and let Skulduggery go. His bones clattered to the floor.


End file.
